Why Are Escape Rooms Good for Team Building?

Group of adults in escape room - Why Are Escape Rooms Good for Team Building

Escape rooms have become increasingly popular over the years as a form of entertainment and recreational activity. But did you know that they are also great for team building? In this blog post, we will delve into the reasons why escape rooms are good for team building and explore some of the best escape room activities for team building.

Benefits of Escape Rooms for Team Building

Escape rooms have taken the world by storm, offering a unique and immersive experience that goes beyond entertainment. They are more than just a fun way to spend an hour or two with friends; escape rooms have become a popular choice for team building activities. In this section, we’ll delve into the numerous benefits of using escape rooms as a team building tool.

Enhanced Communication

Within the confines of an escape room, effective communication is paramount. Team members are compelled to share ideas, clues, and discoveries. This fosters an environment where individuals must actively listen to one another, thereby improving their overall communication skills.

Problem-Solving Skills

Escape rooms are essentially a series of intricate puzzles that require creative problem-solving. Teams must work together to decipher clues, connect dots, and unlock mysteries. This challenges participants to think outside the box, improving their problem-solving abilities.

Team Bonding

Escape rooms encourage camaraderie as team members collaborate to reach a common goal. The shared experience of solving puzzles and “escaping” creates lasting bonds among colleagues, making it an excellent opportunity for team members to get to know each other in a relaxed, non-work setting.

Time Management

Escape rooms come with a ticking clock, adding a sense of urgency. This pressure forces teams to manage their time effectively, allocate tasks, and prioritize activities. These skills can be directly applied to the workplace.

Stress Management

The thrill and intensity of escape rooms can be a stress reliever for employees. It offers a break from the routine, allowing participants to unwind and have some fun, which can reduce workplace stress and improve overall well-being.

Leadership Development

Escape rooms give individuals a chance to step into leadership roles. It’s an opportunity to assess and develop leadership qualities as they guide their team towards the ultimate goal of escaping.

Adaptability and Flexibility

The unexpected twists and turns in an escape room teach participants to adapt to changing situations and stay flexible. This skill can be highly valuable in an ever-evolving work environment.

Boosted Morale

Successfully completing an escape room can give team members a sense of accomplishment. This boost in morale can carry over into the workplace, increasing motivation and productivity.

Diversity and Inclusion

Escape rooms bring people from diverse backgrounds and skill sets together. This promotes a culture of inclusivity and values the unique contributions of each team member.

Best Escape Room Activities for Team Building

friends playing escape rooms

There are many different types of escape room activities that are great for team building, such as:

1. Escape room challenges

This is the traditional escape room experience, where participants are locked in a room and must solve puzzles and challenges to escape within a set time frame.

2. Virtual escape rooms

These are online escape room experiences that are designed to be completed remotely. They are a great option for teams that are working remotely or are geographically dispersed.

3. Themed challenges

These are escape rooms that are designed around a specific theme, such as a murder mystery or a heist. Themed challenges offer a fun and immersive experience that is sure to engage participants. Most escape rooms have a theme, but you can review the list of games to find one that’s perfect for your group specifically. For example, if your team works in the medical field, why not pick an escape room about a psychotic, murdering doctor? Is your team made up of history buffs? Pick an escape room about a historical figure like Houdini! The possibilities are endless.

4. Virtual reality escape rooms

For a cutting-edge and highly immersive team-building experience, virtual reality (VR) escape rooms offer an exciting option. These rooms leverage advanced technology to transport participants to virtual worlds where they must work together to solve puzzles and complete challenges. By putting participants into an entirely new world, VR escape rooms offer an opportunity to overcome challenges you’ve never experienced before.

When selecting the best escape room activity for your team, consider your team’s interests, objectives, and the desired level of challenge. No matter which theme you choose, escape rooms are sure to provide an unforgettable and enriching experience that strengthens bonds, enhances problem-solving skills, and promotes effective teamwork among your group.

Codex Silenda: The Book of Puzzles

Codex Silenda: The Book of Puzzles is a book with a series of puzzles that must be completed to move to the next section. This article will go into detail about what Codex Silenda is, its history, people’s personal experiences with the book of puzzles, and how to get one.

Codex Silenda Puzzle Book

What is Codex Silenda?

Codex Silenda is a puzzle book designed and created by Brady Whitney. It is made out of multiple types of wood, shaped by laser, and assembled into different types of puzzles. Codex Silenda consists of five puzzle pages, each of which must be solved before proceeding to the next.

Every page has a story to tell, which will only be revealed at the back of each page if you manage to solve the puzzle. As an introduction, the Codex Silenda tells the story of an apprentice who came across a similar puzzle in Da Vinci’s workshop, where Da Vinci has set the codex as a trap for spy apprentices that try to steal his work. However, as the demand for this amazing puzzle book has grown, Whitney has produced several more versions of the book, including Egyptian, Mayan, Necronomicon, and Norse version, which still share the same puzzles but have their own unique designs and stories to follow.

Here is an overview of the five unusual puzzle pages from Codex Silenda:

Page 1: Mechanical Iris

The first page of the book is called the mechanical iris, which is where you find yourself in a trap. On this page, you must activate the right combination of locks in order to open the mechanical iris that will allow you to unlock the next page.

Page 2: Rotating Maze

The second page is called the rotating maze. On this page, you must solve a maze, which is covered by a cylinder wood block. The cover makes the maze more difficult to navigate and solve. Once you manage to complete the maze, the book will allow you to unlock the next page. 

Page 3: Geneva Gears

The third page is called Geneva Gears. The name and concept of this page are based on the Geneva drive mechanism. On this page, you must position all of the gears in their appropriate places to be able to unlock the next page.

Page 4: Paradox Sliders

The fourth page is called the Paradox Sliders. This page requires fourteen sliders to be positioned appropriately across the page in order to unhook the locks and bolts and access the next and final page.

Page 5: Cryptex Lock

The fifth page, known as the Cryptex Lock, introduces the final puzzle; this is the apprentice’s final challenge in the story in order for him to escape the trap. To be able to solve the final puzzle on this page, you must first understand the rune codes written on this page.

History of Codex Silenda

The Codex Silenda was a thesis project of Brady Whitney at Iowa State University in 2016. After the success of his project, Whitney shared the photos of the Codex Silenda online, where it went viral in one day. Since then, many people inquired about the availability of Codex Silenda on the market.

In August 2016, two months after codex silenda went viral online, a kickstarter campaign was launched by Whitney and his team. His goal was to raise $30,000 USD but in just three days, the campaign raised $100,000 USD and grew up to more than $200,000 USD in just one week. After several years, the demand for the Codex Silenda in the market continuously increases until it reaches the point where the Codex Silenda production couldn’t cover the demand anymore. Because of this, Whitney decided to launch another kickstarter campaign in March 2020 called Codex Silenda Remastered. This has successfully raised more than $700,000 USD, and become fully funded in just 15 hours. The goal is to hire additional employees to increase the production of Codex Silenda, and to obtain new facilities with better equipment to speed up the manufacturing capacity. More themes and puzzle innovations were also introduced in Codex Silenda Remastered, making it more interesting and challenging for the users.

Different Codex Silenda themes:  Da Vinci | Mayan | Norse | Egyptian | Necronomicon

Today, Whitney and his team continue manufacturing Codex Silenda and are considering inventing another version.

The Codex Silenda Experience

As the availability of Codex Silenda in the market grows, many people have taken up the challenge and shared their personal experiences and reviews. Unexpectedly, Codex Silenda was even featured in an American action crime drama.

During the Codex Silenda kickstart campaign in 2020, American actor Neil Patrick Harris posted a quick review video. He also promotes the campaign’s objective of producing more Codex Silenda for people to enjoy. 

Chris Ramsay, a Canadian magician, and YouTuber shared his firsthand experience with Codex Silenda through a walkthrough video in 2020, which he finds really challenging and rated as a level 10 difficulty puzzle.

The uniqueness of Codex Silenda comes with how surprisingly it is built. For those who are curious, here is a quick video shared by Arcane Concept Inc. in 2017 that shows how this fantastic book of puzzles is made.

The NCIS: New Orleans episode “Treasure Hunt” features the Codex Silenda. In the episode, the NCIS team seeks to investigate the mysterious murder case of a naval captain on a treasure hunt. While trying to solve the case, the team comes across the Codex Silenda, which they have to solve as part of their investigation.

Source: NCIS: New Orleans

How To Play Codex Silenda

Purchasing Ready to Play Codex Silenda

If you love puzzles, a twisting story, and are up for a mind-bending challenge, this puzzle book might be perfect for you. The Codex Silenda is already distributed and available on different market platforms online. Here are several online stores where you can order your own Codex Silenda: 

Purchasing DIY Codex SilendaAlthough the book of puzzles seems to be really complex to build, the Codex Silenda, in collaboration with SCS Direct made a Codex Silenda DIY edition which is available on Amazon. This will give you an extra challenge by assembling before solving your own Codex Silenda.

DIY Codex Silenda
Source: Amazon/SCS Direct

The Codex Silenda is indeed a brilliant invention that has thankfully been made available in the market for the entertainment of puzzle enthusiasts. Do you think you’re ready for this kind of challenge? The only way to find out is to try.


Codex Silenda pages 1-5 image source: Kick Starter

Having Your First Date At An Escape Room

Is it a good idea to bring someone you just met to an escape room for a first date? The short answer is: probably no. However, it might be a good decision in some circumstances and it most likely is a very good 2nd or 3rd date… Here’s why:

You just met them and don’t know if you can stand to be around them for more than a few minutes…

If you just met this person, remember that you know close to nothing about them. Most likely the only thing you know about them is that you’re physically attracted to them.

Typically on a first date you want to give yourself a comfortable space to get to know your date a little bit better AND have an easy escape in case things aren’t going well. Good first date locations are low pressure, amenable to conversation, and give both parties an opening to either end it early or extend it.

An escape room is fun, but you’re trapped in a room with someone you just met for 60 minutes, which means it could end up being great or being a disaster.

The 2nd and 3rd date are much different…

Initial test passed…

After the first date one of the most difficult parts of dating is over. You should have a much better idea of who your date is and what they like to do. At this point you can make a much better judgement call about what a good 2nd date might be. If they love games… then an escape room might be a great next date. If they hate clowns, then maybe that circus escape room you were thinking about taking them to isn’t such a good idea.

But, even if the first date was a success you’re still not in the clear (far from it).

Building upon the success of your first date

If you’re hoping to progress to a third date, then your second date should be significantly better than the first. While you don’t want to push too hard, moving too fast to get to know your date and ruining the process, you also don’t want to risk just repeating the first date. The small to medium talk has been covered. Second date territory is where you can open up with each other a bit more and explore your compatibilities (without getting ahead of yourself).

How does an escape room fit into this Goldilocks date space?

A little bit of pressure and some fun

Here are a few reasons why an escape room can make for a great 2nd or 3rd + date:

  • Team Work – you can see how well you work together to solve puzzles. Life is really just a series of problems that need to be solved. A game where you’re on the same team is nice test to see how well you work together.
  • Pressure – you can see how the other person reacts under pressure.
  • Personality Traits – you might get to see another side of your date. Perhaps they are goofy and make the game fun, or very competitive and you can see they have a lot of ambition.
  • Bridge – an escape game can leave room for extending the date. If you plan it properly you can still go out for a bite or a drink afterward and continue the fun if you’re hitting it off.

Remember to think before you date… but not too much!

Your Brain on Beer vs Coffee

Coffee is a known stimulant that can help you finish your tasks with zeal. But did you know that beer can also play a role in helping you get things done?

Beer (modest amounts) can help you come up with a new idea. When alcohol hits your cerebral cortex it helps free up your mind of distractions which allows your brain to make deeper connections and come up with better ideas.

Coffee is good for when you already have the idea and just need to get to work. Caffeine binds with your adenosine receptors and gives you focus. Caffeine can kick in as quick as 5 minutes. 

Remember that excess consumption of any of these drinks will negate the positive effects. Make sure you don’t over do it! 

Maybe a coffee stout before your next escape room can help you solve it faster?